Third Time's a Charm
by theoryoferin
Summary: Breaking up with Rabastan Lestrange their seventh year could have very well ruined her life, but Ophelia Chase didn't care. She had no interest in becoming his bride when her heart belonged to another, greasier Slytherin seventh year.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a new fanfic that I'm writing within the span of three days. Just a little bit of fun writing, nothing serious. Hope you like it!

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**Chapter One.**

Crissy rolled over, away from Rabastan. Her skin was slick with sweat and sticky because of it; she wanted nothing more than to separate herself from him... And get out of the fluid-covered bed sheets. Luckily, her boyfriend was never one to cuddle after sex.

She had barely sat up in the bed, digging around underneath, trying to find her gray, pleated skirt when Rabastan grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her back down onto the bed, her head resting on his stomach. Usually this meant she was stuck here, giving him another round of sex, each thrust more painful than the last.

"Do you love me?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" Crissy replied. The question was off the wall and more out of the blue than anything the boy had ever thrown at her before.

"You heard me, I know. Do you love me." This time, it wasn't a question, but a demand.

She shrugged, sitting back up and yanking her hair from his hand. "Not particularly, no," she admitted with a second shrug. Really, she'd only kept seeing him because it was expected of her. No one broke off their long term relationships with high standing, pure blood wizards in their seventh year. No one. Especially not other pure bloods with no marriages already lined up and arranged for them. Crissy happened to be one of the "lucky" few whose parents hadn't already gone looking for suitors.

"Than you shall leave me." Another demand that should have been a question.

"That was the reason I was looking for my clothes, yes. I was unaware that you'd turned into a sap overnight."

Rabastan sighed and stood, pulling on a clean pair of Y-Fronts before pacing around the room, stopping at the window to stare out. The window, of course, was fabricated. They were currently many feet below the surface in the Slytherin dormitories, which were all practically dungeons. Crissy finished pulling on the majority of her clothes haphazardly. Later, she would shove the undergarments into the inside pockets of her robes; she wouldn't put them back on after wearing them most of the day, but she also refused to carry them out in the open back to her side of the dorms. Or leave them here for the other boys to find. That was all she needed, a pack of Slytherin boys with a pair of her panties to use as leverage for whatever they decided they wanted from her that day.

She stood up and looked at Rabastan. He wasn't often clingy and half the time Crissy doubted that he kept her around for anything more than sex... And the occasional party that a date was basically a requirement for entrance. Sometimes, Crissy was honestly resorted to being the trophy date and it was hardly a compliment.

She pushed the dark green curtain the rest of the way around the bed and out of her way as she picked up her crumpled robes from the floor. In just a few hours, they would be heading home for the Christmas holiday and they were - as far as either of them knew - the last Slytherins to leave who were leaving, so they hadn't had much concern for being careful not to be caught.

Severus Snape would be staying at Hogwarts, of course, and he could have easily walked in on them at any point without question, since he also lived there, but she doubted that Rabastan would mind. Severus, on the other hand, would either be intrigued... Or terrified.

"Are you done with me, then? I've some packing left to do before the holiday," Crissy said, draping her robe over her shoulder casually while he sulked at the window.

Rabastan turned slowly, the muscles in his back rippling as he did. "We are expected to wed, and you don't love me. In fact, I dare say that sometimes, it feels as though you're barely able to _tolerate_ me."

Crissy shrugged. What he said was true. Most days she could barely stand to be in the same room as Rabastan, even though they'd been dating for the better part of the last four years, and some days... Well, there were rare occasions when she found herself actually wanting to be near him. But those days had become so few and far between lately that Crissy couldn't even remember the last time it had happened.

"And even worse, you care not that we've deteriorated this way, if you've ever loved me the way I loved you," he said. Crissy rolled her eyes; she was tired of guilt trips from Rabastan. She'd been given at least one a week for the last several months, and lately, she was lucky to get by with only one per day.

She sighed. "Listen, Rabastan," she started. It was time that she finished things with him here and moved on with her life. "If you've know for so long that I wasn't interested, why have you kept stringing me along as though I am?" she asked.

He hung his head, long dark hair falling into his sullen face. "I had hope that this was just a phase you would grow out of and in the end, we would become stronger because of it," he paused and looked up at her, his brown eyes - easily her favorite feature of his - sullen and sad. "We would make a beautiful team for the Dark Lord."

She spun on her heels and shook her head. They had many an argument over their loyalty, though the question of sides was never raised; they both had known for ages that each of them were allies of the Dark Lord. Rather, the question was always of how much of themselves they were willing to devote to him. Rabastan was convinced that Crissy was never willing to give enough; that she hadn't given his Lord a fair chance in changing her mind, despite the multiple gatherings she had attended.

"I will never join his forces, Rabastan, and you know that. You have know that for years, now," she sighed and took a few more steps towards his door. "I believe, dear Rabastan, that it is time we said our goodbyes."

"Yes, I wouldn't want you to miss your train home."

"Not... Just for the holidays," she paused. "For good. I'm just... I don't get that feeling from you as I once did. My attention... My heart lies elsewhere."

The silence between them as Rabastan glared at her was palpable. She didn't move, except to breathe, and even that was sometimes debatable.

"Leave then. Leave me, and never speak another word to me," he said turning his back to her and slamming his hands against the windows, palms smacking into the glass hard enough that Crissy thought it might crack under the pressure.

"Goodbye, dear Rabastan," she mumbled, exiting the room. She climbed the stairs slowly, thinking over what just happened. Her parents would be disappointed in her for letting a wizard of such high stature slip away when clearly he had their future together in mind. And for what? A whim? A stupid, school girl crush that would never be reciprocated?

It was true that her relationship with Rabastan had seen better days, but the real deterioration of the couple had begun not long ago - perhaps in the middle of the previous year, if that far back - when she had been forced to partner with one of Rabastan's dorm mates, Severus Snape. She'd never even been interested in becoming the boy's _friend_ before their partnership, but spending so much time with him in the class had changed her mind. Severus still treated her as he had before the class, just now they spoke more, but Crissy couldn't help but wonder what went on in his mind about the people around him, including herself. She was also dying to get to know him _better_, if he'd let her.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him sitting on a couch in the common room, facing the boys' stairs. Maybe he'd read her mind and was waiting for her? He'd known all along what she wanted.

"Are you finished in there now? I would like to put my belongings away and care not to see Rabastan naked... Again."

Crissy sighed and nodded. "Go ahead. He's just in his skivvies, though, and pretty pissed right now, though, but you're safe otherwise." Of course he wasn't waiting for her. Even if he knew that she'd been interested, he didn't seem the type to wait for her... Especially while she fucked his roommate. Hell, she wouldn't even bother waiting for _herself_ in that situation.

"Angry? Why would sex have made him angry? He's always been in a better mood before after being with you..." Severus said as he stood. He averted his eye as he spoke of their sex lives and Crissy was more than a little embarrassed. Of course everyone in the dorm knew about it, but no one had ever brought it up with her in conversation before.

"I just broke up with him," she said. Confessing this aloud made it somehow more real than it had been in the room. It was much more unsettling to admit to someone else that she'd just thrown away the future that she'd been working hard towards all this time. Especially when that someone was the main cause of her distraction.

Severus nodded solemnly, as if he understood what she was thinking. "I think I will wait until he leaves for home. Have a Happy Christmas," Severus said, sitting back down and opening his beat up, well-loved copy of _Advanced Potions_. "Will I still see you this year at the Malfoy's Christmas party?"

Crissy nodded, but then thought about it. She had never received her own invitation to the party, but had always gone along as Rabastan's date. Lucius knew who she was, of course, but they had never been personally close.

"I don't think so," she said. "I've never been friendly with Lucius and now that I'm not forced to be there to hang on Rabastan's arm... I don't think I'd be very welcome, unfortunately." Crissy had already bought a new dress for the party and had been looking forward to going. She wasn't going to be attending the party that had been a staple in her holiday tradition for the last three years. It would be something about Rabastan's company that she would sorely miss.

"Shame," Severus said, flipping pages. "It was always a pleasure having someone not so dimwitted to talk to. Now I will be the only sober one at the function... As well as the only one not parading around, wanking to every mention of the Dark Lord."

Crissy laughed. She'd never quite known where Severus stood with his alliance, the way he studied and some of the things he said led her to believe he would become a Follower, no doubt, but then he would say things like that, and she would be convinced otherwise. Either way, it didn't matter to her, as he wasn't trying to shove his beliefs down her throat as some of the _other_ boys had done. She heard a door slam and a trunk being thudded across the stairs, followed by a long string of swears.

"Have a Happy Christmas, Severus. I'll be retreating to my dormitory now, so as to avoid dealing with _that_ again."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's chapter two. The way this is looking, I expect this to be finished around chapter 25 or so.

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**Chapter Two**

There was a brief bit of yelling in the common room while Ophelia hid in the staircase, unmoving. Rabastan was taking out his anger on poor, defenseless - not to mention uninvolved - Severus and it was her fault. At least partially. Ophelia made a mental note to apologize to the poor boy before she left for the holiday.

She closed her eyes, listening to Rabastan curse her name, her family, and her mere existence before picking his trunk up with a grunt and slamming out of the common room, likely still mumbling under his breath. Not exactly the dignified ending that she'd imagined coming from a wizard of such stature.

Ophelia crept back to the common room and peaked around the corner of the stone wall.

"Hey," she muttered coming back down. Severus spun around quickly, not having expected her to return so quickly. "Sorry about that. I... I didn't mean for him to take that out on you. I didn't know that he had all of that bottled up, honestly. I'd thought that everything between us had been okay, at least," she admitted, letting her head hang as she sighed.

Rabastan had never really been one to talk about feelings and emotions... Or even their future with Ophelia, but, she'd always thought that had there been a problem, something that was bothering him about anything - her, life, their relationship, _anything_ - that he would come to her. Judging by the earful that Severus was just treated to, it looks as though she had been wrong.

Severus shrugged, but said nothing, refocusing his attention back on his book. Ophelia wanted to say more to him, to actually hold a conversation... Maybe for him to ask her about some of the awful things Rabastan has just spewed out about her. But no. She got nothing in return.

"You're the only one left here this year, in the entire house," she said. It might have been a lie, but as far as she could tell, all of the other Slytherin students had left, except for the two of them.

He shrugged again. "I believe there is a first year and a third year left behind, still. I saw one out playing in the snow with a few Ravenclaw earlier. Hiding behind a drift and sniping them with snowballs that I suspect were made of rocks and ice." His eyes never left his book and Ophelia didn't know how he did it. Her concentration would have been shot, if nothing else, but also... She liked to watch people as they spoke. Body language interested, and sometimes amused, her greatly.

"You could come home with me," Ophelia said without thinking. Her eyes went wide when she realized that she'd said that thought aloud. She thought about running back up the stairs and hiding for a while, until the very last second before she had to rush out and catch her train.

"I appreciate the offer," Severus said, voice still quiet and calm as could be. "But, I couldn't. I hate to impose; even if I've been invited, I would still feel like a burden to your family at a time like this."

Ophelia sighed. At least it hadn't gone as badly as it could have. He could have taken it to mean more of what she had intended it to mean, and realized that she didn't want to spend the entire holiday without him. Luckily, Severus was about the farthest thing from a ladies' man and that thought was likely the farthest from his mind.

"Though, a thought," he said, closing his book and standing again. He turned to face her, his thinning robes and long dark hair spinning with him as he moved. "Would you like to be my guest to Lucius' party this year? I never bring anyone with me, and each invite is valid for the invitee and a guest. Then, your untimely breakup won't keep you from going, when you so obviously wanted to attend."

She was speechless. Severus Snape had just invited her to a formal party over the holiday with him. What was the proper response? She wanted to jog across the room and throw her arms around his neck, but thought that perhaps that wouldn't be the most well received of ideas.

"Not as my date, of course, if that's what's worrying you. But, you want to attend; I shouldn't let my guest spot go to waste," he explained. Ophelia's stomach knotted at the first phrase. Of _course_ not as his date. Severus Snape _didn't_ date. In fact, most students at Hogwarts had hypothesized that he was either asexual... Or a eunuch.

"Right," she replied, hoping to have hidden the secret disappointment in her voice. "I... I'd love to be your guest." She thought about the dress she had and hoped it would be fittingly beautiful to stand beside him. It would be strange, not being expected to dote on the man she came with all night long. Maybe she could meet someone else, if she could stay focused on anyone for that long. She was sure Rabastan would have found a new girlfriend by the end of the week and that would prove to be a major distraction for any sort of flirting she may even want to do.

That and the fact that the boy who had kept her from devoting her full heart to the relationship that she had checked out of months ago would be accompanying her to the party... It was sure to be an interesting evening, that's for sure.

"I'll owl you about it sometime over the holiday, once it gets closer. We can probably just meet at Malfoy Manor, I imagine. Lucius always comes to Hogwarts to take me to the house himself. Transportation should be able to be arranged for you otherwise," he said, slowly creeping towards the boys' stairs.

"Very well. I look forward to hearing from you," Ophelia said, smiling. "But, you have to at least promise me one dance during the night. Customary and all, since we'll be going together."

Severus furrowed his brow, but nodded in agreement. "Tradition must be preserved."

Ophelia nodded and smiled larger. Maybe her holiday wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The days passed slowly at home, much as she'd expected. Ophelia spent a lot of spare time revising her notes for her upcoming NEWT examinations, especially in Charms and Herbology, as she was terrified of getting less than an Acceptable on either, or both, exams. Normally, she would spend time with some of her school friends, or even some of her muggle friends that she'd left behind when she'd left for Hogwarts. This year, it seemed like everyone had gone away for the break, or was just avoiding her.

She'd even gotten a reply from one of her female housemates that read _I'd love to visit, but Rabastan... He's forbidden it, really. Sorry, O, but I'm sure you understand why I'd rather have you angry with me than him._

Ophelia had literally spoken to no one other than her parents and the random people she saw around town and on the Tube while she travelled around bored every afternoon since that last conversation she'd had with Severus before she left school. Other than that owl, of course. She had sent plenty of them out to her friends, but that was the first - and only - reply she'd gotten back thus far.

So, that was that. She'd broken up with a boy and now she was left to live a lonely life. Things would change when they returned to school, she was sure, but this tactic that he was using to keep her from being happy was certainly taking its toll. The day she saw an owl tapping on her bedroom window with a note from Severus was by far the highlight of her terribly boring vacation from her school.

_Ophelia,_

_I hope your holiday has been relaxing and this owl meets you well. Hogwarts has been as it ever was; chilled and silent without the normal throng of students, of course. Far more peaceful this way, I've found._

_Lucius informs me that we are free to meet you tomorrow via the Floo Network, if you'll have your parents open it for us. Then, from there, we shall travel together to Malfoy Manor, unless Narcissa hasn't made it yet. Escaping the Black household seems to be troublesome for her now that she's wed and shouldn't be there at all. _

_But, I digress. Tomorrow you should be prepared shortly after half two, and I will meet you then._

_Severus._

The owl was surprisingly casual for Severus, but Ophelia enjoyed it. She might not have been quite so enamored had she been having regular human contact outside of her family the last week, but as it was, Ophelia had to fight to keep from dancing around her room at the note. She sent him back a simple reply, confirming that she would be ready at the designated time before opening her closet and pulling her dress out to give it a chance to air out before the party.

Ophelia twirled around in front of her mirror, pulling her white blonde hair up into a fast stacked ponytail look that she had been attempting to perfect for months now. It was the perfect up-do for her she thought, since it was fast and easy, but still managed to combine messy with classy. She pulled the ponytail through in a loop so it looked like an elegant style that had taken far longer than it actually had. It rested just above her bare left shoulder, helping to balance out her dress.

The dress she'd picked out was a black, knee-length dress that fit her just right - because of the help of a little magic, of course. Her left shoulder was bare, while the right was covered by a single strap about two inches thick that followed a straight line down her back, leaving the entire left side of her back as exposed as her shoulder. Around her middle, just below her breasts, was a bright teal sash that tied in a large bow around her back and helped accentuate her chest from the bottom, in ways that the low neckline couldn't.

She'd managed to find an earring and necklace set in teal that matched the sash perfectly and broke up the empty patches of skin that would have otherwise seemed seamless. The hardest part about the entire outfit was easily her shoes, but once she found the pair of teal, Mary Jane pumps with the four inch heels, she fell in love. Ophelia wasn't like most girls, with their constant need to buy more and more shoes because they "had to have them" or because it was love at first sight, but with this pair, it was true.

It had taken a full day of doing mundane things around the house to get used to wearing them around without tripping or falling out of them every couple of steps, but now that she was used to them, Ophelia felt like a rockstar in her Mary Janes. Everything was in place and she was impressed with the way she looked when her mother called down the hallway to her.

"Ophelia! Your friends are here!"

She smiled and grabbed her small bag, also teal, and walked down the hall to meet up with the boys. They were both already in their party clothes and Ophelia was glad; she didn't want to feel overdressed when they arrived. But, she had no reason to fear. Lucius and Severus were both in full tuxedos, ignoring the customary wizarding dress robes for the night, and looked regal. Both with deep green bow ties and likely a vest or cummerbund underneath their coats.

Lucius was sporting a solid black cane with a silver serpent at the top. Ophelia wondered where he'd come across something like that and if it was just for show, or rather a necessity. Judging by his thin, fit build, she assumed it was a fashion accessory, but she didn't dare ask.

Severus' coat was the most interesting thing about his wardrobe to her, with the long tails hanging down in the back, held together by only a single button in the front. His hair still hung limp, framing his face on either side, and just as oily as it had ever been, but that was one of the things that made Severus who he was. Between his hair and his large, hooked nose, Severus' face was unmistakable and familiar.

A small smile spread across Ophelia's face as she watched the eyes of both of the boys travel up and down her figure at least once while she stood in front of them.

"Rabastan is going to eat you alive," Lucius mumbled barely loud enough that Ophelia could hear it. She wasn't sure how true that would be, but she took it as the highest compliment, coming from Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius nodded and turned back towards the fireplace in the living room. It was never used, even in the dead of winter, since they lived in practically the center of metropolitan London and the quality air laws prevented it. But, it was absolutely imperative that a fireplace had been installed in this house; it was their primary form of travel, of course.

"Shall we, then? Narcissa is waiting at home to welcome any early guests, but I don't entire trust her to allow everyone on the guest list inside. She still hasn't gotten rid of _her_ bias and adopted mine yet," he said, laughing. Ophelia didn't find his words that funny, but laughed along anyway, not wanting to upset the party's host before they even left her house.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This one gets a little ramble-y towards the middle and I apologize. But, like I said at the start - writing the entire thing in three days means spell check is my major editing.

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**Chapter Four**

They arrived only seconds later in the entryway to Malfoy Manor, a house that had most certainly been appropriately named. Lucius had been out of school a number of years and had plenty of time to decorate his beautiful, lush home.

Right now, it was decked out for the holiday, with holly and strands of evergreen lining the entire house where the walls met the ceilings. There were ornaments scattered around and a tree decorated in two entirely different colors in every room of the house. Ophelia noticed a few strategic locations where mistletoe had been hung, and made a mental note to avoid standing beneath them for any period of time.

"Who's there?" a soft, feminine voice called from the other room, followed quickly by the clicking of heels along the hardwood floor. "Oh, Lucius! Welcome home," she said, kissing him lightly on the cheek before backing away a few steps and nodding in Severus' direction. "Good evening, Severus," she said, her voice gone cold. Ophelia didn't think that Narcissa approved of Lucius' choice in friends.

"And... Ophelia Morgan?" she asked. She and Narcissa had talked before, back in their first few years, after having run into each other in the hallway one morning and nearly killing each other on a moving staircase because of it. Even despite that, they were nothing even reminiscent of friends and Ophelia was honestly surprised that she'd even remembered her name.

"Aren't you with Rabastan Lestrange?" Ah, and the truth came out. _Rabastan _was the reason that most people knew her nowadays, it seemed.

Ophelia shook her head. "I was, but not anymore. I... We broke up," she said. She didn't dare to tell someone with a family like Narcissa's that she had broken up with _the_ Rabastan Lestrange. She was sure it would get around, at least a rumor would, but without confirmation from both parties, the information was only hearsay and that wasn't usually good enough for someone with half a brain.

"Shame," she said. "You would have made a delightful family." Ophelia cringed, physically sharing her discomfort at the thought. "And tonight you are here with...? I don't recall seeing your name on the guest list," Narcissa trailed off.

"She has come as my guest," Severus spoke up. It was the first he'd said since she'd seen him at school and just hearing his deep voice made her smile. The fact that he was admitting to bringing her along to the party with him was an even bigger perk.

Narcissa nodded and made a note on the guest list she'd procured from Merlin only knows where, assumedly next to Severus' name, indicating that he had brought a guest, rather than arriving solo as he usually did. Narcissa nodded and walked off, mumbling things about numbers of people and RSVPing with the correct information, making everyone else roll their eyes. The Malfoys were _wealthy_ and everyone knew it. There would be no shortage of food, booze, or space at this party if a hundred extra people showed up, not just one.

"Well, you all are comfortable with the house by now, I'm sure. Take a seat, make yourself at home. Everyone else should be here within the hours," Lucius said, floating off across the room behind Narcissa.

Ophelia was vaguely aware of where everything was located inside the house from the tour that Rabastan had given her from the last year they were here together. The two years prior, she'd always stayed glued to Rabastan's arm... Or stumbled around half intoxicated from far too much firewiskey for an underage wizard until she managed to find what she was looking for - usually a bathroom. But even knowing where things were, the house was impressive.

"You know your way around here, don't you?" she asked, nudging Severus with her elbow. He nodded. It wasn't exactly a secret around the Slytherin common room that the two were friends and over the summers, Severus spent more time here than at his own home. At least, that was what everyone said.

"What do you say about grabbing some eggnog and showing me around while we wait for the others to arrive? Malfoy's house has always been impressive to me, considering he's only been out of school a few years..." she trailed off, not thinking about how she essentially just talked up Lucius: a married man and the close friend of her current crush, not to mention someone who she was totally not interested in at all whatsoever.

"Follow me," Severus said. She noticed that he had also become somehow subconsciously aware of all the nooks and crannies where the mistletoe had been hung and was leading her around the house carefully avoiding each of the small plants.

The house was much as she remembered: tall, vaulted ceilings in the places where there were no rooms upstairs - of which no one knew what they were. Other than off limits to guests - and starch white walls. Windows that seemed to go on forever and furniture that seemed like it had fallen straight out of a catalog and onto his floor in perfect condition. The layout of the house was perfect and open, though in no part was Lucius responsible for that, the decorating and cleaning in the house was immaculate, likely because of Narcissa's influence over her husband. Many of the decorations were foreign and almost all of them showed snakes in some incarnation or another. A true Slytherin through and through, Lucius was.

"Beautiful home," Ophelia said really to no one, but technically to Severus as they walked around. She was loving the sound her own heels made as she and Severus walked through the different rooms and onto the different floors.

"I wish to own something half this size and luxury in my future," he said. "Though, I would be content without the house elf," he admitted. House elf. That was why the home was kept in such perfect order. They heard a bit of noise coming from the sitting room and both turned back towards the room, heading in the direction of the main action of the party without having a spoken agreement to do so. As they approached, Ophelia noticed the voices kept dropping in volume. Even though they could hear them far away, now that they were closer, the speech was barely more than a whisper.

As they reentered the room, they realized why. There were six or seven other people milling about the house, especially around the bar where the food and beverages were sitting, but inside the sitting room - the people belonging to the voices - were Rabastan and his new girlfriend.

"Severus!" Rabastan exclaimed, crossing the room and clapping the much thinner boy hard on the shoulder. "How _kind_ of you to pick up after me when I leave my _trash_ laying around!" he said, sending a very pointed glare in Ophelia's direction. "I'm sure she was heartbroken when she realized that my leaving her would lead to the revoking of her invitation to what is quite literally the social event of the year. Have you met Victoria? She's stepped in and filled O's shoes greatly. Even _better_ if I do say so myself."

Ophelia's rage bubbled as Rabastan spoke to Severus as though he were the one who had ended their relationship and as though she wasn't even standing there to begin with. She felt Severus' eyes on her, studying her reaction and his hand hovered dangerously close to hers; Ophelia thought for a moment that he was going to take hold of it, probably to keep her from punching the man who stood in front of her.

"In case your miniscule brain has forgotten, I left _you_, Lestrange. There was no need to clean up after you because... There wasn't. And I'm sure that your new girlfriend is quite the hussy and puts out more often than I ever dared, but it's okay. Because you know what? Severus is three times the man than you could ever hope to be."

She felt Severus go still beside her. All sense drained from her body as the two boys stared each other down as though they had been the ones throwing insults; it was obvious the problem was between Rabastan and Ophelia, but somehow... She had become ignored in the situation. Victoria had managed to escape the sitting room and was chatting jovially with some other bimbo that Lucius had invited along, both showing more cleavage in their "modest" ball gowns than Ophelia even dreamed of having. Finally, Rabastan broke, shoving between Severus and Ophelia, nearly knocking both parties over in the process.

"You _disgust _me... _Snivellus._" Rabastan spat, ending the conversation immediately.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

All around them, the party seemed to rage on, more people were arriving by the second and - other than Severus and Ophelia, who were still standing frozen and silent - it looked as though the fight had never happened.

"I... I don't know what to say," Severus stammered.

Ophelia nodded, knowing exactly how he felt. "I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen like this. I didn't think Rabastan would take his anger at me out on you."

He nodded and slowly turned to look at her. "Did you mean it? What you said?" he asked. She wasn't sure which part of what she'd said to Rabastan was up for debate, but she knew she hadn't been lying at any point during her speech. But, it was odd that he was asking her about it, she thought.

"Yes?" She furrowed her brow and hoped that he would elaborated upon seeing her confusion.

"About me. About me being three times the man that he is?" His voice had dropped down to a barely inaudible volume and he stared at the floor, hair hanging in his face, blocking her from seeing his expression. But Ophelia knew just how he'd look: his lips drawn tight in a line with his eyes downcast, waiting and scared. Completely susceptible to being hurt and rejected, as he thought should be the norm.

Ophelia reached forward with a tentative, shaking hand and brushed half of his hair out of Severus' face, leaving her hand to rest against his cheek. Severus looked up, locking eyes with Ophelia as she nodded.

"Of course I meant it," she said, stroking his cheek softly with her thumb. "I've thought so for ages now." Ophelia took a deep breath, feeling like she was no longer in a room full of people. All of the noise around her became static as she stood there with Severus and Severus alone. She took a small step towards him, a step that was so small, in fact, that it was barely noticeable.

She was holding an internal debate. She _wanted_ to lean forward and kiss him, dying to feel his lips against hers, but she feared that would be too much, far too fast... And there was no telling what Rabastan would do if, no _when_ he saw. There was little doubt in Ophelia's mind that he was watching them, even now while he was off doing whatever it was that he was doing to "keep his mind off" of the subject at hand.

As fast as the moment started, it was over as Severus turned away and Ophelia's hand fell from his face.

"I... I can't, Ophelia," he murmured. Her heart fell and she thought she might vomit all over her beautiful shoes. Rejection had never been normal for her, and especially not from someone like Severus. It was a horrible thought - he was her friend after all - but, she knew that the comparison would always come back. She had left _the_ Rabastan Lestrange for none other than the greasy haired, skinny loner boy, Severus Snape...

And he had turned her down before she'd even really given him a chance to do so.

All the noises from the party came rushing back into her awareness. Suddenly the room was too loud, too hot, too crowded and she had to get out of the house. Thankful that she had Severus give her the grand tour earlier, Ophelia weaved her way through the crowd of people, making her way through the formal dining room, which wasn't in use for the night, and out onto the terrace. It was thankfully empty.

She'd been vaguely aware of Severus calling after her, asking her to wait and practically begging her to come back; Rabastan had to be _loving_ that scene. She breathed deeply, taking in the cool night air and trying to calm down. Ophelia didn't want to cry, but at the moment, it seemed inevitable. Her eyes stung with the tears she was holding back, the sob caught in her throat, feeling like she'd swallowed an inflatable golf ball.

Ophelia didn't turn around when she heard the door slowly open and then click shut again behind her. She turned her face away from the terrace, looking out in the distance and avoiding speaking while she fought off her tears. She felt his presence getting closer before she could hear his breathing, heavy and ragged beside her, his silent footsteps never tipping anyone off to where he was heading.

"I'm sorry, Ophelia," Severus said. "I had no idea." She hadn't expected him too. When she'd realized that she had feelings for him, she tried to hide it from everyone, including herself. He was just an oblivious _boy_ who would never know how much he'd already hurt her, just within the last few minutes.

"It's just..." he sighed and stopped. She waited for him to finish, but thought that perhaps he had given up already; that he thought she wasn't worth the fight. Just as she was about to give up herself, she felt his hand gently touch her arm, fingers rough and calloused from years of accidentally chopping or burning his hands while making potions. "Please, Ophelia. Look at me?"

His voice was surprisingly gentle, almost as surprising as the tenderness in his touch. Her resolve quickly crumbled and she couldn't be rude, couldn't ignore his request. Turning around, Ophelia kept her head down and eyes firmly planted on the ground. Even staring at the shoes she'd grown to adore couldn't bring a smile to her face or a splash of joy to her heart like they did normally, especially when she could see _his_ shoes, black and polished to a perfect shine, right there in front of them... A lot closer than she had imagined they would be. His hand fell from her arm as he started to talk.

"I... I have to apologize, Ophelia. You've managed to catch me off guard this evening, something that I admit does not happen often. I just..." he paused and she heard him swallow. She wanted to look up, see how close he had dared to get to her, but was too afraid to see the expression he was wearing. It could easily lead to more disappointment.

"Judging by Rabastan's reaction, I feel as though getting involved would be nothing but a mistake for both of us until he has gotten over his feelings for you... Or the hurt you've caused him, whichever he happens to be stuck on," he said. Ophelia had to admit that Severus had a point, but it didn't matter much to her.

"I'm willing to fight him," she said, finally looking up at Severus, her eyes still filled with tears. "I've long since stopped caring what he thinks and how he feels. It's not important." Severus turned his head as she looked up at him, gazing out into the expanse passed the edge of the terrace, into the Malfoys' perfectly landscaped yard. It was obvious he didn't agree.

"I understand," Ophelia murmured. "But if that's how you feel, perhaps it is time for me to go home."

"But, the party's just begun!" He snapped his head back around quickly to look at her.

She nodded. "But, if your conflict of interest is between myself and Rabastan, I shouldn't be in the same place as he."

Severus sighed. "It's... There's more to it than that," he said. His eyes glazed over as he retreated into his own thoughts. Had Ophelia not been studying his face so carefully, she'd have missed the small smile playing on his lips... But as it was, she saw it... And she understood all too well.

"There's someone else," she murmured. "You've already found someone else." She let her shoulders drop as the first tear slid down her face. All of this tension, the buildup, the breakup... Everything had been unnecessary because her interest in Severus was too late. He had already found someone that captured his heart. The expression on his face was similar to the one Ophelia wore herself, a simultaneous heartbreak during the season that was meant to be most jolly.

"There's more to it than you may expect, O," he said. She smiled slightly at the use of her nickname. Rabastan had given it to her, meaning for it to be a perverted joke, and no one else had ever used it; hearing it in Severus' voice brought the faintest sliver of hope to her heart. His own shoulders dropped as he admitted that his interest had no feelings for him at all, even in a friendship sense, and everything made more sense. "I... Haven't come to terms with it myself yet," he said. "And because of that, I'm afraid to do anything else. Afraid that I'll ruin everything with anyone, holding on to what I wanted my life to be."

She nodded solemnly and sniffled. "I still think that perhaps it's best if I head home now," she said, disapparating before she even gave him the chance to argue.


End file.
